Site Search Navigation

Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Player Ratings: U.S. (3), El Salvador (3)

By John Godfrey March 27, 2012 3:11 amMarch 27, 2012 3:11 am

United States national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made the point early and often: he believes the Olympics are an important international tournament, and he felt strongly that the United States should put its best foot forward in the upcoming London Games.

Well, that’s not going to happen.

The United States was eliminated from the Concacaf Olympic qualifying tournament as a result of Monday night’s 3-3 tie against El Salvador in Nashville. It is a huge setback for the U.S. soccer program, an embarrassment for the under-23 coach, Caleb Porter, and a devastating personal experience for goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who allowed the decisive long-range shot to bounce past him in stoppage time.

Bill Hamid: Hamid took a knock early in the game and came out at the 38-minute mark. He gave up both of El Salvador’s first-half goals, but cannot be held responsible for either. Rating: 5

Kofi Sarkodie: Jaime Alas caught Sarkodie in a poor position 13 minutes into the match, forcing the Houston Dynamo defender to commit a foul on the edge of the penalty area. The ensuing free kick flew into the wall and was cleared, and Sarkodie settled in after that. Rating: 5

Ike Opara: Opara was a phantom in the U.S. defense throughout the tournament, disappearing for long stretches and failing to shore up the back line. Opara’s poor positioning played Andrés Alexander Flores onside and set up El Salvador’s second goal. The bottom line: the Opara-led back four conceded too many goals and too many dangerous chances over its three games. Rating: 3.5

Perry Kitchen: Kitchen battled hard and stood his ground early, and looked to be on his way to a strong comeback performance after a rough match against Canada. In the end, however, he could not impose his will on the El Salvador attack. Rating: 4.5

Jorge Villafaña: Looked shaky in the first half, particularly when Jose Gutierrez beat him down the left wing around the half-hour mark. To his credit, Villafaña battled and showed that he has the stomach for the fight if not all the tools necessary to succeed at the international level. Rating: 5

Amobi Okugo: Okugo could have been given a straight red in the seventh minute when he upended El Salvador’s Flores with a reckless sliding tackle. He was lucky to get a yellow and eventually settled down after a frenetic first half hour. Rating: 4.5

Mix Diskerud: When he has lots of time on the ball, as he did against Cuba, Diskerud can be lethal. When defenses close him down, as they did Monday night, Diskerud is easily dispossessed and lacks a cutting edge. His corner kicks throughout the tournament were abysmal. Rating: 4

Joe Corona: Corona’s headed goal in the 67th minute put the U.S. ahead and might have been truly memorable had the Americans held on for a victory. Since the strike did not hold up, it’s worth pointing out that Corona often played slow with the ball and rarely presented El Salvador’s defense with anything to worry about. Rating: 5.5

Freddy Adu: The team he captained was eliminated, but Adu demonstrated true leadership. He created two of the three American goals against El Salvador, tracked back tirelessly on defense, and showed the sort of skill and savvy that would come in handy on the senior team. The United States missed out on the Olympics, but Adu emerges a big winner in this truncated tournament. Rating: 8

Terrence Boyd: Bold, fast, energetic and precise around the goal, this 3-3 tie could be remembered as Boyd’s coming out party. The Dortmund forward put the U.S. a minute into the match with a nifty left-footed volley off a Brek Shea cross. Boyd’s second goal was even better – a powerful, beautifully placed right-foot shot off a feed from Adu. He is special. Rating: 7.5

Brek Shea: Shea created the game’s first goal when he powered through three defenders and found Boyd with a lovely cross. And he did wreak havoc on the left wing every time the offense played the ball through him. But somehow, despite all his strength and speed and skill, Shea still could not impose his will consistently. Rating: 6

Substitutes

Sean Johnson: The Chicago Fire goalkeeper came on for Bill Hamid seven minutes before halftime and played a solid game up until the final minute of stoppage time. Jaime Alas’s long-range shot short-hopped Johnson, but should have been an easy save. It was a brutal moment that Johnson will struggle to live down. Rating: 3

Michael Stephens: A time-wasting substitution. Rating: Incomplete

Joe Gyau: Ditto. Rating: Incomplete

Are you disappointed that the United States will not be playing in the 2012 Olympics? Do you think Coach Caleb Porter deserves the lion’s share of the blame? Share your thoughts in the comments.

What's Next

About

Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.